TV Legend Andy Griffith Dies

Television legend Andy Griffith has died. He was 86-years-old. William Friday, a longtime friend of Andy Griffith and former president of the University of North Carolina system confirmed to FOX News that Griffith passed away.

FOX’s Trace Gallagher reports from Los Angeles:

You hear the whistle, you think of the name: Andy Griffith.

(Griffith) “Barney, don’t shoot the slingshot in the office!”

Born Andrew Samuel Griffith in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1926. In 1953, he recorded ‘What It Was, Was Football’, which became one of the most popular comedic monologues of all time. 

(Griffith) “It was that both bunches full of them men wanted this funny looking little pumpkin to play with.”

He went to Broadway, where he received a Tony nomination for his role in ‘No Time For Sergeants’.

‘The Andy Griffith Show’ ran for eight years and has rerun ever since. Griffith then spent several years pushing crackers.

(Griffith) “Mmmmmm, good cracker!”

In 1986, Andy came back to prime-time television with a bang, in the series ‘Matlock’.

(Griffith) “I’m Ben Matlock.”

Sheriff Taylor and the gang did reunite a couple of times. Both specials were hugely successful. Apparently Mayberry is where we liked Andy best.

In Los Angeles, Trace Gallagher, FOX News.

WATCH Andy and Opie discussing Opie’s allowance on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’:

WATCH a scene from ’The Andy Griffith Show’: